Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Since It Has Come to This, Let’s Eat First
"Mr. Everett," General Aldridge’s voice rose. "Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t teach her to say it; the little girl came up with it herself."
General Aldridge stroked his chin. "But speaking of which, Mr. Everett, you and I aren’t that far apart in age. Aren’t you embarrassed having a little girl like her call you ’uncle’?"
Before Kevin Everett could answer, General Aldridge burst out laughing again.
Hearing General Aldridge’s laughter, Kevin Everett’s face flushed red.
Before General Aldridge brought it up, he had honestly never thought about it.
’But now... there’s nothing I can do about it!’
Candice Tate called him "uncle" mainly because she called Jayce "brother."
’By that logic, this is all Jayce’s fault!’
With that thought, Kevin Everett shot a glare at Jayce.
Jayce had just been enjoying the show with a chuckle, but when he saw his father suddenly glare at him with such an unfriendly look, he was startled.
’I’m done for!’
’I’m in the line of fire now!’
’At a time like this, words are useless. The best plan is to turn and run!’
"Dad, General Aldridge, we’re going to head back now! See you tomorrow!"
Without waiting for Kevin Everett to reply, Jayce swooped up Candice Tate.
Holding Candice Tate in one arm and pulling Sierra Sullivan along with the other, he made a swift exit.
Watching the trio vanish like a gust of wind, Kevin Everett huffed, "That little brat sure is fast on his feet!"
"What are you talking about? If he weren’t fast, you’d have given him a piece of your mind. If I were in his shoes, I’d have run even faster!"
Kevin Everett shot General Aldridge an annoyed glare.
’How dare he say that? Isn’t this all his fault?’
General Aldridge looked utterly innocent. "Why are you glaring at me? This has nothing to do with me! Don’t drag me into your father-son business."
With that, General Aldridge rubbed his stomach. "I didn’t get a proper lunch. Mr. Everett, are you offering food? If not, I’m heading home to eat!"
"What kind of question is that? You think I can’t spare you a meal?"
Yvonne Shelby walked over with a smile. "I’ve already started cooking. We’ll be able to eat soon, so you can’t leave. We’re going to have a proper feast today; there’s a huge spread!"
The moment he heard there was a huge spread, General Aldridge’s stomach started to grumble.
With Candice Tate around, it was hard for a meal *not* to be a feast!
He was truly looking forward to it!
-
Sierra Sullivan followed Jayce, quickly heading upstairs.
At first, Sierra just felt that something was a little off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
It wasn’t until they had gone up several flights of stairs that she finally realized what was wrong.
Previously, the hallways and stairwells had been packed with survivors.
But now, even after climbing several floors, they hadn’t seen a single one.
’Where did all the survivors go?’
Seeing Sierra standing still, Jayce immediately stopped and turned back to look. "Sierra, what’s wrong?"
Sierra pointed to the empty surroundings. "Everyone’s gone."
Jayce had thought something serious had happened. Hearing this, he broke into a smile. "Oh, that’s what this is about. Don’t worry. Mom just told me that a few of the Gold Element Superpower users spent the day renovating several apartments. Everyone has been properly settled in."
Hearing Jayce’s explanation, Sierra finally breathed a sigh of relief.
’As long as everyone was settled in safely, that’s all that matters.’
As she continued upstairs, Sierra couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from turning up in a smile.
The stairwell had been crowded for so long. Every time she walked through, she had to be so careful, afraid of accidentally bumping into someone.
She had almost forgotten what it was like to walk up the stairs so freely and easily.
Back at their apartment, they let Candice Tate play by herself in the living room while Sierra and Jayce went into the kitchen.
The two of them said they were going to cook, but really, they were just putting on a show, making some noise to fool Candice Tate.
After all, they were exhausted from the day. Even Jayce didn’t have the energy to cook for real.
The two of them pretended to be busy for about fifteen minutes before the dining table was laden with food.
There were fried and stir-fried dishes, stews and deep-fried treats, noodle dishes and desserts, savory and sweet soups, and even fruit for after the meal—a complete spread.
In any case, Candice Tate was young and had no idea how long cooking actually took, so they could get away with it.
Sierra walked into the living room. "Candice, time to wash your hands and eat!"
Candice Tate had been looking at a picture book. When she heard Sierra, she immediately closed it and trotted over to her.
Sierra led Candice to the bathroom, where they both washed their hands and faces before heading to the dining room.
Seeing the table laden with food, Candice Tate’s face filled with astonishment. Her mouth fell open, forming a perfect "O."
"What’s wrong?" Sierra asked with a smile. "Why the shocked look?"
"You and Big Brother are amazing!" Candice Tate exclaimed in her sweet, childish voice.
"Why do you say that?" Sierra asked, a little curious.
Candice Tate had never said anything like that before.
"Aunt Shelby doesn’t cook this fast!" Candice Tate replied with a serious expression. "So you and Big Brother are amazing!"
Sierra was speechless.
’This isn’t how I thought this would go!’
Candice Tate’s comment had completely caught her off guard.
Candice Tate might not know how to cook, but she was smart enough to compare what she saw.
’And that comparison created a problem!’
Sierra’s heart skipped a beat, but she remained relatively calm and quickly thought of a reply.
"That’s because Big Brother and I cooked together! So we’re much faster!"
She explained it with a straight face, and it sounded perfectly reasonable.
Candice didn’t know any better, so she just nodded obediently at the explanation.
Seeing Candice sit down, Sierra thought for a moment before adding, "Candice, can you keep it a secret that Big Brother and I cook so fast? Don’t tell anyone, okay?"
"Why not?" Candice looked confused.
"Because... I’m afraid other people might feel bad if they find out! We have to be considerate of others, right?"
Candice Tate nodded very seriously. "Yes! You’re right, Big Sister! I won’t tell anyone!"
Despite her young age, she was very good at keeping her promises.
She always did what she promised.
Hearing Candice Tate’s answer, Sierra breathed an inward sigh of relief.
But at the same time, a new worry crept in.
Candice Tate was too smart. As she grew older and experienced more, she would only get even sharper.
’We can fool her for now, but what are we going to do in the future?’
The more she thought about it, the more worried she became, and her brows furrowed.
"Sierra! Have some of the pork rib soup first!"
Jayce said, placing a bowl of the soup in front of her.
Sierra looked at Jayce. Seeing the comforting look in his eyes, she finally stopped overthinking it and nodded back at him. "Okay! Let’s eat!"
’It’s not a huge deal. The sky isn’t falling. No need to worry so much.’
’What’s done is done. Time to eat!’
